Archives for May 2004

'"Got to give credit to them. They're a good skating team and played hard both nights," said Lingren of Milwaukee's two wins in Buffalo. "We just got to bear down a little more and try bury some of our chances."'

'Cunneyworth said after Sunday's game that he will give some thought to benching Miller for the second time in this year's playoffs. Miller is 7-and-6 with a 1.73 goals against average and .940 save percentage.'

'Later in the period, the controversial no goal. Derek Roy's shot went in off the skate of Chris Taylor. The officials ruled it was directed in, and waved off the goal. Taylor argued, claiming the puck was not directed in. It seemed to take the life out of the Amerks, who could never tie the game.'

'Regier said contract talks are progressing with 2002 first-round draft pick Daniel Paille. If Paille isn't signed by June 1, he'll be returned to the 2004 draft pool. Paille was considered one of junior hockey's top checking forwards, yet he recorded 37 goals and 43 assists in 59 regular-season games and nine goals and nine assists in 22 postseason games with the Guelph Storm.'

'"I think it all boils down to is if Buffalo wants to sign him," Lucia told the AP. "And if they do in fact want to sign him, what kind of contract are they willing to give him to have him leave school?"'

'It's happening at the minor league level, where Buffalo's farm team, Rochester, is tied 1-1 with Milwaukee going into Saturday night's Game 3 of its best-of-seven AHL Western Conference final series. It's happening at the Memorial Cup, the Canadian junior hockey championship tournament, in Kelowna, British Columbia, where two Sabres prospects have competed this week.'

'Hockey fans from both cities responded, too. A crowd of 8,462 showed up. Amerks fans flooded the sidewalks before the game, proudly wearing their red, white and blue sweaters. Sabres jerseys were very prevalent, too. ”They said they were playing here, so we knew we’d be here,” said Kelly Vandewalle of Williamson, an Amerks season ticket holder for nine years who was decked out in an Amerk No. 32 Andrew Peters sweater.'

'Rochester fans reacted to the sudden-death ending by throwing cups and plastic bottles on the ice, and Miller skated toward referee Harry Dumas to vigorously protest the penalty called against Janik. "Penalties are one thing, but embellishing is another," said Americans coach Randy Cunneyworth, who thought Darche fell to the ice quite easily. "Either we have to go to acting school, or I don't know what.'